Monochrome
by SilentSerenata
Summary: Perfection had its limits and often led to numerous complications. Although life was never simple for Uchiha Itachi, he had no intentions of being defeated - especially not by her. Based on the events of Itachi's childhood. ItachixOC
1. Scroll 00: Prologue

**Summary: **[ItachixOC] He was a young prodigy, the pride of the notorious Uchiha clan. However, perfection had its limits and often led to numerous complications. Although life was never simple for Uchiha Itachi, he had no intentions of being defeated – especially not by her. Based on the events of Itachi's childhood.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own 'Naruto'. All original credit belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Author's Memo: **I had originally intended to post this much, much earlier. However, I couldn't seem to find myself being able to, that is, until now. Forgive me. The story may be quite perplexing, after all, I'm only improvising as of yet (brainstorming isn't exactly my expertise). Hopefully, I will have everything sorted out soon. Hopefully.

Enjoy anyways :]

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**M o n o c h r o m e**

[Shades of Black and White]

_- SilentSerenata_

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_**Si deus me relinquit,  
Ego deum relinquo.**_

**Scroll 00: Prologue**

She dashed into the silent streets, masked by the night's cloak of darkness.

Without a pause, or a moment's hesitation; without once staring to the left or right; without once raising her head to the sky above or the ground below, but fixated on the sight before with absolute resolution, the female muttered not a word nor relaxed a muscle.

She only ran.

The soft padding of her soles were barely noticeable, if not, inexistent. She herself would have been considered the same if not for the rare glimpse of her faint silhouette underneath the pale illumination of the moon. Her speed was undeniably swift and allowed not a second to spare a moment of contemplation.

_**Solus oppressus nigram clavem habere potest,  
Omnias ianuas praecludo  
Sic omnias precationes obsigno.**_

She continued to run. Pass countless houses and their sleeping inhabitants, however, always within the proximity of the shadows. It was her camouflage; her shield against being seen and worst of all, discovered. Although she could leap onto the roofs above which ensured a faster route, she did not dare play with her chances of death. _Yet. _Mistakes could be fatal hence, she preferred the streets of Konoha where the ground provided a far more advantageous cover than above.

_Turtle over rabbit...' _

She noticed her target was nearing; it would be only seconds before she reached the Hokage Tower.

Her ultimate desire was waiting from within.

_**Sed  
qui me defendet?  
Ab me terribilissimo ipse.**_

_**- Si Deus Me Relinquit; Iwasaki Taku  
'If God Has Forsaken Me'**_

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Although this was extremely short and not quite the best, I hope you've enjoyed reading Chap 00 :] Reviews will be greatly appreciated.

With the best regards,  
_- Silent Serenata_


	2. Scroll 01: Curiosity

**Disclaimer: **I do not own 'Naruto' nor do I claim any ownership of it. I am merely borrowing its concept in order to develop my own hence any original credit should rightfully belong to Kishimoto-san. It would be nice, however, to receive some merit for my own creativity :]

**Author's Memo: **I must say; I've gone far too long without the bliss of creative writing. I have indeed missed the satisfaction of being a writer and most of all, Fanfiction :D But it is only understandable that there are certain priorities far more significant than FF. If only there wasn't...

Although I've finally managed to muster enough courage to officially post this chapter online, I won't be updating _Monochrome_ anytime soon. But thank you very much for reading anyways :] I was extremely happy when I managed to receive some reviews and although it was not much, I was deeply touched. As idiotic as it may seem – to be delighted by only a few words – such joy really does bring forth a new purpose in life :D I'm sure you would all agree.

**Inspiration: **The song, _'Red Star' _by _The Birthday Massacre_ left me quite the impression although I don't typically indulge in listening to metal. But I suppose it eventually became my inspiration for this chapter as I found myself soon relating its lyrics to _Monochrome_.

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**M o n o c h r o m e**

[Shades of Black and White]

_- SilentSerenata_

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_**Best of cruel intentions  
Finding what they fail to mention  
No truth, all pretention  
Raise your hand to get attention**_

**Scroll 01: Curiosity**

- _CURIOSITY: the desire to learn or know anything_

The leaves which enclosed her petite physique rustled, a light breeze having blown by and caused ripples to tremble across the tree top. She hushed not a sound, not even an audible breath, as she reassuringly secured the _ookami _mask that veiled her childish face. With all her might, she tightly clenched her fists to confirm the resistance of her gloves and feeling satisfied, she reverted her gaze back onto target.

Before her stood a tower which could easily be distinguished by its familiar blend of red and white. It was without a doubt, the Hokage Tower - the heart of Konohagakure and its core of existence, as shown by its emblem of the kanji _fire. _However, for this particular night only, such a protruding building had also become the target of none other than _Kitamura Naoko_.

The referred female had long ago halted her running and was now silently perched above a branch hidden amongst thick shrubs, analysing the tower only meters away. Her presence, however, remained yet the same; untraceable since the moment she approached the village - _no, even before than_ - and she had every intention to do so.

_A faint breeze brushed the flame which burned wildly on top of a melting candlestick thus, causing it to rapidly flicker and form misshapen shadows across the stone walls. The white-haired girl continued to read, completely unfazed by the movement from the only source of light within the room. But as she was about to almost overturn onto the next page of her book, the slithering voice of an all too well-known man beckoned to her. _

"_Naoko..."_

_Instantly she shut her book and as if to test his patience, slowly raised her ruby eyes to gaze at the Snake Sannin, Orochimaru. _

_The latter smirked, humoured by her silent response for a reason she could not identify. _Tch._ The sight of this man, particularly that oppressive smirk of his, brought forth temptations which urged her to slap his face. She desired so much more though - to mortify him, to torture him, _to erase his damn soul_ - but she knew, _he knew,_ she was powerless to do so. _

_It was ironic how her mind was able to manifest such dark thoughts yet her face portrayed things otherwise. Although there was the absence of a smile, it did not fail to emit the sense of innocence...or so it would seem. She neither liked nor disliked the lies in which her face implied as either way, it would remain to seem harmonious due to her childlike features. She didn't mind though; it did prove quite the beneficial tool towards her survival as a ninja. _

To deceive or to be deceived, to hunt or to be hunted. _That was the one principle in which she could never defy, not as long as she continued to breathe._

_Although her attention had wandered elsewhere, she'd not forgotten Orochimaru's presence still within the room even for a moment. But had he commenced an attack right then and there, she could've lost a limb. She wouldn't have been killed though; her skills were a far too valuable asset even for Orochimaru, who had to resist from crushing. _

_As if having almost read her thoughts, the smirk on the Sannin's face grew only wider._

_"I have a job for you..."_

Her gaze was stern and only hardened further upon the sight of those red gates which lead into the Hokage Tower and ultimately, her true desire. However, guarding the sealed doors stood two ninjas cloaked in chuunin vests, blocking all access into the damn tower. But at the thought of Orochimaru's words...

"_I suppose you've heard of the legendary Kirin, or perhaps, the Four Celestial Gods?"_

"_The Four Celestial Gods? As in Genbu, Seiryu, Suzaku and Byakko?"_

_Inwardly she cursed herself. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her and dominated her will to speak before she herself could. Though soon enough, she regretted having ever answered the Snake Sannin's enquiry as his responding chuckle only irritated her further. _

The legendary Kirin and the Four Celestial Gods...Spiritual Guardians created by the Sage of the Six Paths himself to _supposedly_ protect the Five Great Shinobi Nations from destruction.

"_As expected of a Kitamura - I see you're familiar with the legends. But it is exactly as you said and although they've been long forgotten, the Four Celestial Gods and the legendary Kirin do exist. They're merely...'asleep'."_

"_...and exactly how do these ancient myths involve_ me_?" _

_Was the Sannin's smirk able to grow any further, it did. "If successfully summoned, each god has the power to form a specific 'contract' - a contract in which the summoner is able to obtain immense chakra from the gods themselves. However, in order to obtain such great power, an even greater amount is required to initiate the summon hence the creation of 'Enhancers' - special chakra amplifiers."_

_Naoko's eyes thinned; she knew exactly where this was heading. "You want me to retrieves these 'Enhancers' you speak of." It was a statement; an indication which Orochimaru responded by chuckling. _

_"Retrieve Suzaku's Ring from the Hokage Tower." A brief pause._ "I won't tolerate failure again, Kitamura Naoko."

She had surreptitiously taken her time to carefully examine the tower laying before her and eventually concluded to the fact that there wasn't any other possible entrances besides those red gates. She was really left with no choice.

The moon which was once visible in the night sky was beginning to dull, she noticed - a sign of the night approaching its close. There was not much time left; sooner or later, the guards were bound to figure out her presence from within the trees.

At once, she began to form hand signs: Ninjutsu hand signs.

'_Kage no Bunshin!'_

"Ugh!"

The two chuunins who were only seconds ago guarding the doors, now limply sprawled across the ground, unconscious. Their attacker disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Naoko to stand before the gates of the Hokage Tower…with a key in hand.

Her clone was indeed her clone. With the perfect precision, it had rendered the guards unconscious with an effortless strike of her hands as well as having stolen their key which she assumed would unlock the doors behind.

Ever so lightly, as to not to make a single sound, she inserted the key into the metal lock. She had assumed correct; the key was a perfect fit.

Without once sparing the bodies a single glance as to truly identify their insensible state, the female silently slipped through the wooden doors and into the Hokage Tower. But not without a smirk etched underneath her mask. They were after all, only chuunin.

-

It was pitch black - not a single form of illumination present within the Hokage Tower, not even a candle. Yet the ninja continued to excel beyond her physical limits as she ran pass various doors and unknown rooms to reach her beloved goal which laid at the top: the Hokage's office.

Then it hit her.

Against her will, her petite body shivered. She noticed her fingers as well, slightly trembled as the feeling of dread settled at the pit of her stomach. Her footsteps gradually ceased and eventually came to a complete halt. Her instincts were forewarning her something was amiss…was there possibly a flaw in her deductions? But she was a hundred percent sure -

_Tap._

_Curiosity killed the cat..._

Uncontrollably out of impulse, her body instantly spun to face the source of the noise only to be... welcomed by nothing. It was possible that her eyes were being deceived right then and there, however, she would not have said the same for her ears. She was _definitely_ certain that the echo had occurred from behind and although her eyes met with an empty hallway, she refused to let such a crucial matter bypass her consciousness. Two seconds. It was during those two seconds in which she had been momentarily distracted thanks to her own curiosity, did she seriously became entrapped in her most fatal mistake ever. Until then, the presence of another being had not occurred to her senses but when it did, it was already far too late to escape. Without any warning, her body was forcibly slammed into the wall, _hard_, as she felt the existence of crushing hands curled around her neck. She gasped; from both the shock and the sudden, unexpected lack of oxygen.

She was well aware of the hands which threateningly grasped her neck, demanded from her an answer yet she could not comply. Her focus was elsewhere.

'_Crimson...Black...'_

Its penetrating gaze commanded her ultimate surrender. To death.

'_The Sharingan._'

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_...and so the cat had eight more lives to spare._

_**It's my red star, I steal it  
It's my red star, I can't let go  
It's my red star, conceal it  
It's my red star, all I know**_

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Oh~ How I love irony :] I hope this chapter was far more satisfying than the previous, if not, please don't hesitate to criticize. Also, if it's not too much of a favour to ask, could anyone care to give me a suggestion as to how I should develop the plot? I'm yet to decide where this is leading to :/

Looking forward to the reviews and _merry christmas!  
- Silent Serenata_


	3. Scroll 02: Underestimation

**Disclaimer:** 'Naruto' is owned by Masashi Kishimoto therefore all original credit should belong to him. As for my OCs and any other creative concepts, they are rightfully my own :)

**Author's Memo: **Oh my god. It's already been over 6 months since my last update on Fanfiction. Sorry to all those were waiting during those six months D:

**Inspiration:** Ever heard of the song _'Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni' _by_ Shimamiya Eiko_? That, and the ItachixOC fanfic by _ScarletDivinity_, _'Dawn Of A Rosy Sky'_, inspired me to write this very chapter x) Thanks Divi. _'You can't wait for inspiration, you hav to go after it with a club'_.

**You've been warned. This text will contain swearing and violence. **

Enjoy :) As for the Japanese-English translations, excuse its oddity.

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**M o n o c h r o m e**

[Shades of Black and White]

_- SilentSerenata_

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_**Furimuita sono ushiro no  
**__**|Shoumen daare?|  
**__**Kurayami ni tsume wo tatete  
**__**|Yoru wo hikisaita|**_

_Behind where I looked back,  
__|Who's in front?|  
__I raised my claws at the darkness  
__|And ripped apart the night|_

**Scroll 02: ****Underestimation**

_- __UNDERESTIMATION: To form too low an approximate judgement of._

Irritated by a nagging discomfort, Kitamura Naoko attempted to pull at the cause of her pain - a pair of hands which murderously grasped at her neck. Her own slightly trembled as they clutched at the other's wrists and although her efforts proved futile, she continued to only pull harder; the instinct driven from the lack of oxygen circulating through her lungs refusing to surrender. Involuntarily a soft groan parted from her lips as a migraine slowly approached the back of her head. The ninja who had previously slammed her head against the wall had advanced even closer for their faces now laid mere inches apart. But through her blurring sight, Naoko could just barely recognize that the black blob before her was in fact a ninja, and one with a death-paralysing Sharingan.

_The Sharingan…_

It troubled her – the fact that her captivator possessed the infamous Sharingan, a kekkai genkai which she had absolutely no knowledge of, other than that it belonged to the notorious Uchiha clan of Konahagakure no Sato. This was without a doubt a liability in her case yet she dared to glower at the Uchiha's face or more particularly, his eyes. Inwardly Naoko cursed her pride; it was obvious she was proclaiming for a challenge.

"Who are you?"

There was a second where Naoko realised the words were in fact demanded by her captivator and addressed to her. It surprised her, for his voice hinted neither malice nor pleasance - almost monotone - though she suspected he'd already figured the answer: an intruder. Only what kind, he had yet to know.

Naoko refused to respond. Rather, she couldn't for she'd forgotten how. Her former shock had yet to fade so when he'd questioned her, she was at a complete loss for words.

This boy, she noted, who seemed no older than herself had successfully managed to corner her against the wall, worst, undetected. Not the slightest trace of chakra was noticed and even now, as he stood barely centimetres away, she felt nothing. _Nothing_. Though Naoko wished she could have doubted her captivator's existence as some sort of ghost, the crushing sensation of his rough hands around her neck, however, shattered such hopes. Frustrated at her own stupidity for being caught, the female gritted her teeth; an odd look which did not suit her childish face. She felt like wanting to smash her head against the wall once again.

_Dammit_. Why was it that she could never contain her curiosity? Had she did, would she have had to face her current situation? _No_.

With as much effort allowed, Naoko glared even deeper at her captivator as if the action alone would cause the ninja to release her. "Release…me." Her voice came out as no more than a whisper, choked in between panting breaths for air.

Unfazed, the Uchiha shifted not a single muscle. "Why?"

Silence.

Was he attempting to infuriate her on purpose? If so, he had succeeded for pure hatred could be seen gleaming from the pits of Naoko's ruby eyes. It seemed as if time had suddenly slowed and that everything was moving at a snail's pace; that the edge of her palm was slowly advancing towards her captivator's right arm.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain to the Uchiha's arm as he was stabbed by the kunoichi's hand. A pressure point. But nevertheless, the hit had caused enough shock for the man to reflexively loosen his hands, even if just so slightly. With unimaginable speed, the kunoichi had taken the advantage and swiftly twisted his wrist until a soft _crack _was heard. _She was going to break his arms._

Unfortunately for Naoko, her murderous plans were cut short when a flip-kick was aimed to the right of her face; the Uchiha's body having twisted itself so that his right arm remained no longer distorted at an odd angle. Naoko found herself just barely managing to dodge the attack as she herself was forced to release her own grip. She felt the wind brush by the top of her head; loose strands of her white hair rippling in the sudden movement. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins as she a launched a fierce punch at the Uchiha's face. The fist, however, was easily caught by the hand of her enemy; the Uchiha halting the attack a mere centimetre away from the tip of his nose - a vulnerable spot. Again, Naoko aimed for another punch but he caught that too.

_He's fast…_

Of course, for he _had_ after all trapped her by the throat and smashed her against the wall simultaneously. Naoko had to admit, the Uchiha was fast. But she was faster, and she would prove it to him.

The female's her arms trembled, not out of fear, but due to the immense power in which the she exerted onto her fists. The kuniochi snarled; the more force she applied, the more the Uchiha would reflect back. He was almost like a brick wall.

_And a damn hard one at that._

Naoko inhaled deeply in attempt to cool her fiery fury, before calmly stating, "'Who are you?' That should be my line, _Uchiha-san_. After all, it is only common courtesy that one should introduce themselves first."

There was a brief pause amongst the two before the low voice of her enemy contemplatively responded, "…Uchiha Itachi."

_..._

_Uchiha…Itachi?_

The name was oddly familiar for a stranger she'd only just met. It certainly rung a bell, but from where? Sure, the Uchiha clan was notorious but…Itachi? As in '_weasel'_? It left a ponderous blank within Naoko's mind.

It was almost ironical. A weasel: an ill-omen as according to ancient mythology, signifying misfortune and death. It was the perfect name for this man, or so Naoko would like to believe for her current situation. Minus the death.

But Kitamura Naoko would soon be if she didn't escape from this man any time soon.

The Uchiha also seemed to be getting tired of her persistent fist. There was a slight cracking sound and at first Naoko was clueless as to where it had come from. She soon realised though, the source was in fact herself, or to be precise, her fist - the Uchiha was going to break her knuckles_._ Now it was her who murderously thinned her eyes; a look which synonymously said "asshole".

Naoko was the first to break their fist lock. Though aiming to snap at his foot with her own, the Uchiha had managed to dodge and in return, kicked at her face along with the mask which shielded it. Back-stepping a second too late, Naoko felt her jaw being slammed by the Uchiha's shoe, and if given the chance, she would have groaned. At once, the pain begun to subside and instantly she jumped away, causing some distance between the Uchiha and herself.

_One__._

Even amidst the darkness Naoko could easily distinguish the sound of an unsheathing katana, as she too, mimicked her opponent's movement.

_Two._

The sliding of their feet against the cobble floor seemed to resonate throughout the silent tower as the two ninjas took their battle stance. Then without any warning, the Uchiha suddenly charged with his sword in hand. The weapon was met by another and within the Hokage Tower, the two katanas repetitively clashed against one another.

A faint smile etched itself behind the female's mask. "That's foul play, Uchiha-san."

"There aren't any rules, nor did you state them."

A soft chuckle, almost a giggle, escaped the female's lips. "I must admit, your character is as amusing as your skills."

The Uchiha didn't respond. Instead, he merely continued to slice at her and slowly, cuts were beginning to form on the kunoichi's clothes. It was Naoko, however, who managed to bleed the other as the rich, red liquid teasingly dripped from the Uchiha's left cheek. But just as the feeling of a blissful accomplishment wavered within Naoko's heart, it dissipated just as quickly for she, too, felt the all too familiar sensation of such moist liquidity on her own body. There, exactly on her arms and torso, laid cuts thrice the amount than those on the Uchiha. Naoko gasped. _When did he-_

The thought was abruptly cut short when the Uchiha continued to thrash at her, unaffected by her personal struggles.

_This isn't good! He's increasing his speed and I'm already beginning to have difficulties keeping__ up!_

The female flinched when she felt another cut pierce through her skin, spilling blood to the floor and dying it a dark red.  
_  
Dammit! Should I just get this over and done with?_

Unknown to Naoko, the Uchiha, too, was thinking of a similar purpose. But as the kunoichi was too preoccupied with being able to defend herself, she had missed noticing the _crack,_ and therefore, the fallen object. Oddly, the said object was only a broken shard and was soon followed by another and another. Then a scream from within the Hokage Tower pierced through the night as the mask which once shielded her childish face now shattered into a million pieces.

"You…!"

Her fury returned at once. But before the female could utter even a single coherency, she made yet another mistake by glaring straight into the eyes of the Sharingan. Not that it had done any harm before, but this time the eyes had taken on such a petrifying form that they _changed._ She had not even taken another breathe when Kitamura Naoko became imprisoned within another, totally different world.

And then she screamed, before her petite body tumbled to the ground like a broken marionette.

_**Oni-san kochira te no naru hou e*  
**__**Donna ni nigetemo tsukamaete ageru  
**__**Higurashi ga naku kemono michi kara  
**__**Kikoeteita koe wa mou nai**_

_Oni-san, come here, to where my hands clap*  
__No matter how you run away, I'll capture you.  
__The voice that was coming from the animal trail  
__Where cidadas cry, is no more._

*One of Japan's traditional games of child's play is considered 'Tag'. However, rather than being referred to as 'It', the chaser becomes known as an 'Oni' where he/she covers his/her eyes with a blindfold and attempts to catch the other players just by the sound of their hands clapping. This line is repeatedly said by the other players to encourage the 'Oni' to capture them. Ironically, an 'Oni' in Japanese folklore is also known as a demon.

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That's dark humour by the way. Speaking of humour, I wonder if anyone's realised the irony between this story and its title? It's really quite obvious if you think about it. Well, good luck to anyone who has yet to figure it out and as for those who have, virtual cookies can be found at the kitchen table :D

But with cookies or not, you'll still review right? :)

Thanks for reading nevertheless ~

_- Silent Serenata_

P.S I wasn't lying when I mentioned about the weasel. The misfortune and death part too.


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